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India's interaction with Central Asia is much older than the modern nation-state system. Ancient trade networks broadly associated with the Silk Routes linked the Indian subcontinent with Bactria, Sogdiana and other Central Asian regions. The Kushanas established political and commercial networks connecting northern India with Central Asia.
Buddhism travelled through these networks towards Central Asia and China. Archaeological sites in present-day Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and neighbouring regions preserve evidence of this interaction.
Syllabus & Relevance
Paper: GS-1
Theme: History & Culture
Static Foundation
During the medieval period, Turkic and Persianate political and cultural currents entered India through Central Asia.
Babur, founder of the Mughal Empire, originated from the Fergana region.
Indian merchants were historically active in cities such as Bukhara and Samarkand, while Sufi networks and Persian literary culture also created extensive civilisational links.
The modern geopolitical rupture came with Russian expansion and subsequently the Soviet Union.
After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan became independent republics.
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